


I Won't Say (I'm In Love)

by jvngkook



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Denial, Fluff, Greek Mythology - Freeform, Hercules!AU, Hercules!Soonyoung, M/M, Meg!Jihoon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-14 10:38:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14134365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jvngkook/pseuds/jvngkook
Summary: Jihoon isn't inlovewith Soonyoung. Not at all.





	I Won't Say (I'm In Love)

“Wow, what a _day_!” Soonyoung exclaims as he walks down the marble steps that lead into the garden. Jihoon slows himself to watch the supposed-God in interest. It had been a lot easier to convince Greece’s favorite hero to ditch his duties for the day. The only opposition was about the Satyr finding out. Though a few bats of Jihoon’s eyes and Soonyoung was thoroughly convinced.

Soonyoung continues, something about the restaurant and the play, nothing Jihoon particularly cares about. His interests lie on how cute the hero is, but then manly at the same time. Those golden locks pushed back by a red band, revealing a sliver of his forehead. The toned sun-kissed arms that felt oh so nice when they were wrapped around Jihoon’s waist oh so long ago. Jihoon all but melts at Soonyoung glancing over his shoulder at him.

“Psst! Stop foolin’ around!”

Jihoon jumps, nearly right over the railing. He turns his eyes to the bird bath where two little nerves are glaring at him. He rolls his eyes, planting his hands on his hips as he stares down at the two in annoyance, “Stop it you _fools_.”

Panic transforms his head back, still on the body of the bird, “Get the goods already.” The little devil, or whatever he truly is, sticks his tongue out at Jihoon. Pain follows soon after, “We have a schedule to stick to.”

Jihoon glances over his shoulder, watching the fallen God looking out over the opposing side of the stairs. Such pure innocence soon doomed to turmoil. He turns back to the useless sidekicks, “You can’t rush perfection.” He hisses back, waving his hand towards the birds as Soonyoung begins to turn back towards him.

“I never knew playing hooky could be so much fun.” Soonyoung admits, sheepishly rubbing at the back of his head. Despite him being a man, he acts no older than a child. So amazed by the simplest of things, yet not afraid to step up and be an adult.

It only makes Jihoon not want to do this anymore. To lie to him. He doesn’t want Hades to get his way anymore. Soonyoung doesn’t deserve this. However, Jihoon needs his freedom back. If he figures out Soonyoung’s weakness, then he’ll be free, _forever_.

He clutches at his toga, “Yeah, neither did I.” Jihoon’s not lying. He’s lied to Soonyoung a lot, for most of the day. Yet, he’s truthful in his words. Admittedly he hasn’t enjoyed a day this much in a long, long time.

Soonyoung jumps down the last few steps, turning to smile back up at Jihoon who’s slowly descending the stairs after him, “Thanks, Jihoon.”

“Don’t thank me just yet.” Jihoon mutters, his face falling as he tears his eyes away from Soonyoung’s, feeling guilty every time he stares into those dazzling brown eyes. His heart fills with regret for what is to come. Though an act of the Gods makes him trip over his toga that is almost too big for him. He flails about as he tips over, falling towards Soonyoung, who already has his arms opened.

“Oh, careful now.” Soonyoung says, his arms easily going to wrap around Jihoon’s waist, holding him up easily. Jihoon looks up into his eyes that are coated with the stars.

Jihoon feels his heart pounding against his chest, hampering to get loose from how he holds it back. Maybe just a bit more. “Sorry. I have weak ankles.” He says, giving Soonyoung a smile that seems almost cheesy even to him.

At least Soonyoung appears to believe it real, “Oh, yeah? Well, maybe you better sit down for a while.” His arms come to wrap around Jihoon’s back and under the bend of his knees and he’s trying his hardest to remain calm with a neutral face. Though with how nice  Soonyoung feels against him isn’t helping.

He’s not able to do anything but go along with it, not able to stop the pounding of his heart. Nor his thoughts battling against one another in his mind. For freedom? For l- _No_ , certainly not that. To stop Hades evil plan and let him waste away to the world he knows it? Or to save Wonder Boy who’s certainly gotten Jihoon to like him. With suspected sorcery of course.

Soonyoung carries him over to the marble seating, overlooking the vast garden before them. Ever so gently he sets Jihoon down, careful of his ankles, even though he really doesn’t have that weak of ankles. Yet, he doesn’t mind being carried by Soonyoung. Not with the warm feeling that encloses him when he’s in Soonyoung’s arms.

Though he’s not here for himself.

Jihoon’s here because he doesn’t have any other choice.

“So, uh, do you have any problems with things like this?” Jihoon starts, knowing he must get Soonyoung’s weakness out of him somehow. Unfortunately, the only thing he knows will work is seduction. He didn’t want it to come to this, not at all. “Weak ankles, I mean?”  Jihoon raises his leg, extending it out in front of Soonyoung’s chest, dangerously close to his face. He pulls at the toga to slowly reveal skin while watching the red blossom across Soonyoung’s face.

The poor man doesn’t know how to react to seduction still. No better than the first time, even when Jihoon wasn’t trying to in that forest so long ago when Soonyoung came swooping in to save him. From which he didn’t need saving whatsoever. But that’s for the past.

This is now, and his freedom rests on the line.

His life too.

Soonyoung looks away as he pushes Jihoon’s leg away to a respectful degree, “Uh, no, not really.”

Jihoon frowns, rolling his shoulder. That usually has men falling on their knees for him. “No trick knees? Ruptured discs?” He leans forward, almost completely in Soonyoung’s face. Leaving barely enough personal space for the man to breath. Jihoon bats his eyelashes quickly, watching Soonyoung’s eyes flicker between staring at him directly or his puckered lips.

“I’m, uh, I’m afraid I’m fit as a fiddle.” Soonyoung gasps out, eyes blinking quickly to appear as if he’s not enthralled by Jihoon’s actions.

He puckers his lips in annoyance. Everyone caves at some point, yet Soonyoung hasn’t touched him, hasn’t acknowledged his advances. The innocent child likely doesn’t realize his own desires that his body reacts to. Jihoon sighs, “Wonder boy, you _are_ perfect.” His tone sounds hopeless, because honestly, he is.

“Thanks.” Soonyoung says, lifting the corners of his lips to reveal those adorable teeth with his eyes disappearing into crescent moons that Jihoon has found endearing since the moment he first saw it. Smiling fits Soonyoung, whether real for others or faking it for himself. It leaves a sense of light opening in Jihoon’s chest.

He’s doomed.

Unless one more trick will work.

Jihoon peers up at Soonyoung through his eyelashes as he leans back, letting the shoulder straps on his toga slide off ever so slowly. It certainly earns the eyes of Soonyoung. He draws his hand across his collar bones, hoping to break the barrier that holds Soonyoung from touching him.

However, the only thing he gets is Soonyoung’s hand barely grazing his bare skin as he pulls the strap back up, “It looks better that way.” He shyly says, patting Jihoon’s shoulder gently, twice, before standing and walking away. Off towards the fountain with his back turned to Jihoon to hide his clearly rose-colored face.  

Miserably, Jihoon stands to follow, only a bit slower to conquer up another idea to find Soonyoung’s weakness.

“You know, when I was a kid,” Soonyoung starts, frowning as he nears the fountain, not giving Jihoon a glance in acknowledgment, “I would have given anything to be exactly like everyone else.”

Jihoon huffs, “You wanted to be petty and dishonest?” He asks, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows as he can’t really understand what Soonyoung is thinking.

“Everybody’s not like that.” Soonyoung counters, finally turning to see Jihoon a few feet away from him. His bottom lip threatening to pucker out into a pout.

Jihoon sighs in annoyance, “Yes, they are.” He passes by Soonyoung, walking a bit further to sit down on the edge of the fountain. He wants to lie back and drown in the water. Watch the light slowly fading away till nothing but darkness remains as he sinks into the abyss of forgotten things.

“You’re not like that.”

“How do you know what I’m like?”

Jihoon almost does fall back into the shallow fountain as Soonyoung rushes to sit down beside him. All too close for comfort as their thighs touch, the only thing separating them is the fabric from Jihoon’s toga. “All I know is,” Soonyoung says softly, his hand coming to rest on Jihoon’s upper thigh, “You’re the most amazing person with weak ankles I’ve ever met.”

He finds himself flustered, more so than anybody else has made him feel in a long time, “Oh.” He feels his face heating up as Soonyoung removes his hand from Jihoon’s leg only to place it under his chin to not let him look away like he wants to. Oh, so badly.

“Jihoon, when I’m with you, I don’t feel so alone.”

“Sometimes it’s better to be alone.” Jihoon mutters, pulling his head free from Soonyoung’s clutches, he casts his eyes down as he turns away from Soonyoung. His back now facing him as he rubs at his eyes. Trying to will himself to not fail at the task he’s been given. To not be a servant to the god-awful Hades anymore.

“What do you mean?” Soonyoung questions. The poor man doesn’t understand the good things of not having anyone to be attached to. Or someone being attached to him. It’s a sloppy mess that ruins one's life to urge them to take idiotic measures to stop something from happening. Or saving someone from certain death, and yet they still betray you.

“Nobody can hurt you.”

Despite this all being an act, he can’t help but be truthful with the son of Zeus next to him. The innocent man pulls at his cold heart’s jail bars in attempts to free him. Free him yet create his own downfall in the process. Jihoon’s been cut off from the world for so long he’s forgotten what true happiness feels like. Or maybe even the start of something new that he didn’t think he would ever have again.

“Jihoon, I would never hurt you.” Soonyoung admits. No lies linger in his angelic voice that hints he has any idea what Jihoon is to do to him. Nothing but complete honesty and trust. Something he wishes Soonyoung was aware of, so he can be hurt now, and not later.

“And I don’t want to hurt you, so,” Jihoon starts of quietly, yet he knows Soonyoung can hear him, “let’s both do ourselves a favor and,” However, despite his mind telling him to run, to scram and never return, he finds himself turning back towards Soonyoung. To see the face that seems to haunt his dreams.

It isn’t until he feels their noses dance together does he understand his own actions. Jihoon himself was leaning into Soonyoung. His hand resting on his chest, loving the warmth coming from Soonyoung’s body. It’s almost too much as Soonyoung’s arm wraps around his waist to keep him in place, “Stop this before we…”

Jihoon starts to think one kiss wouldn’t hurt as his eyes slowly flutter shut-

“All right break it up! Smooch fest is over you two!”

He feels the giant gusts of winds nearly blowing him off into the water. Barely able to steady himself on Soonyoung as he turns to see an angered Pegasus and a perverted goat man glaring at him with fire in both of their eyes. Though their eyes don’t linger on him much as their gaze falls onto Soonyoung who seems equally as shocked and a bit frightened himself.

“I’ve been lookin’ all over this place for you kid.”

Jihoon hisses and crosses his arms and stands to become eye level with Pegasus, letting his anger get the best of him, “Calm down, Satyr. It was all my fault.”

The Satyr turns his harsh words onto him now, clearly still upset over the rejection a while back. Plus, whatever new rage the goat can think of for getting Greece’s new heartthrob to skip out on his duties. “You’re already on my list, so don’t make it worse.”

He doesn’t get a chance to counter as the Pegasus manages to pull Soonyoung away from the fountain, the Satyr effectively getting him to look sad for his day off, “As for you, you’re going to be put through the workout of your damn life!”

He rolls his eyes as he takes a few steps away to avoid being hit with the Pegasus’s wings or tail. The animal doesn’t like him either with how pinned back it’s ears are. However, within the anger seems to lie a deep sense of jealousy.

“I’m sorry, he’ll get over it.” Jihoon jumps at Soonyoung’s voice so close. He turns to see him holding out a white rose. It’s so beautiful like it could have been plucked from one of Khloris’s own gardens. Not a single thorn left on it’s stem and not a petal out of place as he wraps his fingers around it. His fingers graze Soonyoung’s before he’s being pulled away.

Jihoon doesn’t get to say anything as the Satyr is yelling at Soonyoung to get on the Pegasus. He can’t even thank him for the flower that he doesn’t deserve. Nor the affection that he was granted. He clutches the rose to his chest as he watches Soonyoung fly off into the night sky.

Leaving his heart in such a disarray, it doesn’t seem fixable.

His knees give out from under him, sinking till he’s seated right back where he almost kissed the mighty Soonyoung. “What’s the matter with me?” He exclaims, dropping the rose beside him as he buries his head into his hands, “You’d think a person would learn.” He really wishes he could just rub his eyes out and never have to see Soonyoung again. He doesn’t ever want to see him sad, or disappointed and angry when he realizes he’s being used.

But is he really?

“If there’s a prize for rotten judgement,” Jihoon sighs, standing to walk out his frustrations for now, “I guess I’ve already won that.” He stares at the statue of Eros, one of the many gods of love, and a son of Aphrodite. The statue of Eros simply stares at him, pointing his wicked bow at him with a heart shaped arrow aimed right for his heart. His anger boils as he thinks the statue is playing tricks on his mind, laughing at him for his actions, “No man is _worth_ the aggravation.”

Jihoon turns the statue away from him, surprised that it even moved, “That’s ancient history. Been there, done that.” He swiftly turns away walking towards the further parts of the garden. The voices in his head, five in all, taunt him with everything. If he’s guessing correctly, it’s the Five Muses doing what they do best. Narrate a story that they love, or one the people adore. Stories of great heroes and dramatic love stories. Only this one won’t end the way they predict it to.

“No chance, no way. I won’t say it,” Jihoon mutters to himself, crossing his arms as he comes to the entrance of the statue field. Clearly one meant to mock him as well. “It’s too cliché. I won’t say I’m in love.”

He huffs as he slowly makes his way down the path, trying not to look at the statues of famous lovers, in various poses simply taunting him, “I thought my heart had learned its lesson. It feels so good when you start out.” Jihoon looks up at the statue of two lovers dancing while longingly looking into one another’s eyes. Even in sculpture they look totally in love, “My head is screaming get a grip, Jihoon.” He rolls his eyes and pushes past the statue, not wanting to set his heart up for failure.

“Unless your dying to cry your heart out.” He tells himself. Is he though? Truly if he’s already thinking it, talking to himself out loud where others could positively hear. Then maybe- No. Most definitely not that thought will not cross his mind. Jihoon shakes his head and as quickly as possible, passes through the statues, coming across steps that go across a lake.

Might as well, he concludes. He hops onto the first one, then the second and third. Maybe he likes Soonyoung? Maybe, possibly, just a bit- No. _Absolutely_ not. “No way, I won’t say it.” He mumbles, jumping to the fourth and back to the land, only he trips and reaches his hand out to clutch something.

It’s another statue, only the hand saves him. He looks up to see it’s a newly made statue of Soonyoung himself, smiling proudly. Jihoon sighs with a genuine smile on his cheeks, crossing his arms to cradle himself as he turns to press his back against the statue. As if he were in Soonyoung’s very real and very attractive arms.

Oh, how he would give to be asleep in those sun-kissed, God-given mighty arms. His not so crazed brain kicks in, correcting him from what he just did. “This scene won’t play, I won’t say it.” He hisses, getting away from the statue as quickly as possible. However, to him it seems like it’s eyes follow him. Yet the don’t hold that addictive glow of the actual Soonyoung. If it were him, Jihoon doesn’t think he would be able to get away so easily.

The muses really enjoy messing with him, as fake images of Soonyoung begin to pop into his vision. He swats at them as he swiftly walks down the path. “Get _off_ my case, I refuse to say it.” Jihoon growls at the statue of the muses who almost seem to be moving and singing to further complicate his dilemma.

Jihoon makes it back to the fountain, not realizing the damn garden was in a circle. He sinks down onto the fountain’s side, his hand resting on the marble sides to stabilize himself. Only his hand hits the smooth stem of the very rose Soonyoung left for him.

He picks up the delightful flower, smelling it and hoping for the wonderful scent of Soonyoung. A deep earthy focus with dashes of honey and vanilla. Something he wouldn’t have found all that nice before. Now however, it’s all that plaques his mind.

“Oh at least out loud,” He whispers, slowly allowing himself till he’s lying on his back on the fountain’s side. He raises the rose into the air, watching the wind ruffle the petals, not strong enough to pull it from the stem. His mind replays images from the day, filled with Soonyoung’s smiles, his laughter that found a permanent place in Jihoon’s wretched and cruel heart.

Maybe Soonyoung won’t find out about Hades. Or that his soul belongs to the God. Maybe just maybe. Could he have a happy ending?

It could be possible. If he allows himself to enjoy this moment. This day and anymore he has with Wonder Boy. Yeah, it just might turn out alright.

“At least out loud, I won’t say I’m in love.” He softly sings to himself. Jihoon enjoys the warmth that floods throughout his body as he closes his eyes to bask in the glory of what he’s been to stubborn to say.

Jihoon’s in love with Soonyoung. The biggest smile breaks out onto his face as he allows himself this single pleasure before it all ends.

His heart and mind finally agree for once.

Maybe the Gods aren’t so hard on him after all.

**Author's Note:**

> me: needs a break from writing a hella long soonhoon chaptered fic that's not posted yet  
> also me: writes a fluffy soonhoon hercules!au  
> me: way to go
> 
> thanks for reading my first soonhoon fic, I know it's not that great but it was fun to take a break from that monster i've been working on.
> 
> my [twitter](https://twitter.com/jvng_twt)


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